Kapitel 13: Enter the Master

Falling to his knees, the orange haired boy urgently asked the cat, "What do you mean, Happy?"

Happy loudly answers back, "I am Erza!" The boy looks at the cat in confusion.

Erza yells at the boy, "I'm Happy! You're so mean, Loke…"

"Be quiet!" Happy, who is now Erza, snaps.

Timidly, Gray says, "Which means…"

"Natsu and Loke… Gray and Lucy… And worst of all, Happy and I have switched places!" states Erza while in Happy's body.

"EH!?" shouts the entire guild at once.

"What do you mean, 'worst of all'?" indignantly protests Erza, who is actually Happy.

"Magical words of ancient Umpera-ese. You have activated Changeling." solemnly says a small old man by the entrance of the guild. The 5 affected mages run up to the old man with greetings of 'Master' and 'Gramps', which tells Krysti that this man was the Master she was waiting for.

Not bothering to greet them back, the Master continues, "That request is the cause. When you read that spell, the people nearby swap minds. That is Changeling." Lucy in Gray's body trembles in fear as she repeats the name of the spell. While Gray in Lucy's body clamps his/her hand onto the shoulder of the orange-haired boy, named Loke, who is now occupied by Natsu.

"You're Natsu, right?" Gray asks.

"Yea." Natsu replies before getting pulled to face a very angry Gray.

"What the hell have you done?!" Gray demands loudly.

Pushing his face closer toward Gray, as per usual during their fights, Natsu yells back, "Don't ask me! All I did was try and read the request a little! And would someone turn on the lights!" he yells that last demand to the rest of the guild, not realizing that he is wearing sunglasses.

"Enough, Lucy! I mean, Gray. It's not just your minds that swap… Your magic swaps as well." wisely states the Master of the guild. The mind-swapped mages all get shocked by this fact. "And one last thing! If you don't undo the spell within 30 minutes of activation… You will never be able to return to normal. Or so the legend goes." he finishes darkly. The group gets shocked again at the fact of their worsening situation.

Natsu runs to Mirajane and asks her, "How long has it been since then?"

"16 minutes. So you have 14 minutes left." she states in all seriousness. Hearing this, Krysti frowns in thought.

Feeling desperate, Natsu turns back to the guild master and cries out, "Gramps! What's the spell to return us back to normal?"

Glancing away, he scratches his nose before answering, "Well, it is an ancient magic… When it comes to something this old… I have no clue!" he declares, almost proudly. Any hope the group felt has been dashed by that declaration.

He then continues in a wistful tone, "And I was so looking forward to punishing you for going on that S class quest…" He walks past the group and heads toward the bar while and says, "That's out of the question now! Well, give it your best shot!"

At this, the group starts breaking down in despair, while Krysti follows the Master's progress with her eyes. When he settles himself down, she gives her friends a worried glance before moving to meet the Master as he watches the 5 mages and how they are handling the situation.

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I take a deep breath to steady my nerves and hopefully calm down my heart. I walk over to the short man who is the Master of this guild, and the man who would determine if I would be able to join. As I near him, he doesn't seem to notice my presence until I am only a few feet from the bar. He turns to look me over before greeting me.

"Welcome young lady. Is there something I can do for you?" he asks politely. I bow to him as a sign of respect before standing back up straight to answer him.

"Greetings, Master. It is an honor to meet you. My name is Krystina Skye VanHawkins and I would consider it an honor if I would be allowed to join the guild." I say as respectfully as I could.

"Oh? And what makes you want to join this guild, young one?" he inquires. I smile as I think about my friends.

I answer him, "Honestly, it was Erza who gave me the idea. The way she spoke about this guild and how much it meant to her, struck a chord in my heart. She made it sound so warm and happy. It sounded like this was such a wonderful place that I couldn't help but want to be able to be a part of that. That, and it would mean that I would be able to spend more time with my friends and have a chance to make even more friends just as wonderful as they are."

He rubs his moustache in thought for a moment before asking me, "And how did you come by to meet Erza, if I may ask?"

"I don't mind. I met Erza yesterday, before she and the others left the island to come back to the guild. They found me in the woods and brought me here." I say softly. He motions for me to take a seat by the bar, and I bow my head in thanks.

"Something tells me there is more to the story than you first let on, child." he intones.

"Yes there is, but much of it I don't know. I guess I should start from the beginning." I say with a sigh and a light chuckle.

He nods his agreement and I continue, "The only explanation that I can give, is that for reasons unknown to me, I was brought here from another world. I remember falling asleep just outside of my home while I was stargazing. Then I woke up with Natsu's face hovering over mine. I have no idea at all how or why I am here."

He looks at me with wide eyes. "Another world? Are you sure?" he asks me gravely.

I nod back with equal seriousness. "I am completely positive. I am from a world that has no magic. The only magic is what is mentioned in stories, but those are over a thousand years old. If there ever were magic, it is long gone by now, considered to be only myths and old superstitions. I don't know how I was able to get to this world, and I have no idea how I may be able to get back home." He looks down, seemingly in deep thought.

"It is hard to imagine a world without magic." he mummurs. He starts off before looking back up at me and continuing, "But if you have no idea how you have gotten here, it will be difficult to find a way for you to get back. If at all. Are you prepared for that?" I look down, feeling sad that he doesn't have an answer on how I may return to my world. At the same time, I feel relieved that I will get to be with my friends longer.

Feeling the conflicting emotions in me, I look back up and answer, "Yes, I have been thinking that there is a possibility that I may never return home. And I am prepared for that eventuality if it comes to pass. But that doesn't mean that I will stop trying to figure out how and why I am here. And how to get back home." He nods in acceptance again at my answer.

"Well Krystina, if I find out anything about this, I will be sure to let you know." I duck my head in thanks.

"Thank you, Master. It means a lot that you are willing to help." I say with a smile.

"Think nothing of it, young lady. I am most happy to help." He replies warmly. A loud shout catches our attention as more people I don't know have joined in the ruckus. I remember what I asked of Erza that she was suppose to bring up to the Master. (With this going on, she is in no state of mind to be talking about punishments and stuff. But this is mighty suspicious. He lied to them. He knows something about the spell.) I frown slightly and decide to confront him about this.

"Master." I start out slowly.

"Yes, child?" he inquires.

I look over at him before saying, "This is an interesting punishment that you have going on for the group. It is too bad that Erza and Loke were caught up in it."

"What do you mean by that?" he says while fixing me with a hard stare. I don't let the look bother me and I clarify.

"This Changeling spell. It's clever that you're using it as a punishment. Or if this was not the punishment that you have planned, it was quick thinking to change it into the punishment by making them think the body swap is permanent." I tell him.

"Oh? And what gives you the idea that the change isn't permanent?" he inquires.

Taking a deep breath, I tell him my suspicions in a soft tone so no one else hears me, "Well the first thing that caught my attention was the fact that Mirajane told everyone that 16 minutes passed by when in fact it was more like 3. Next, was when you said you had no clue about the magic. You looked away while scratching your nose. Tell-tale signs of when someone is lying. Third, was the way you acted to the fact that they would be permanently stuck the way they are now." At this point, Mirajane comes over to stand with us and I nod at her while continuing.

"If this place values family and taking care of their own as much as I have seen with my friends, then there would be no way that the Master would care so little about the well-being of the people under their charge. Rule breakers or not. So, either this was the main plan of punishment for them that Erza and Loke got caught in by accident, or this is a harmless spell to where you added danger that isn't there to take the place of the original punishment you had planned for them." I finish explaining. He gives me an appraising stare, one to which I don't back away from.

"That's an interesting theory young lady. What do you plan on doing with this information?" he asks slowly.

"Nothing." I state simply. He raises an eyebrow in question. So I add, "Either way if this was on purpose or not, they are still being punished. Erza explained on the way here what has happened, and I agree that you need to be taught a lesson if you go breaking rules willy-nilly." I look over to see everyone else in the guild doing what they can to help their friends.

"Also it seems to be helping the guild bond together better through adversity. A welcome bonus in my opinion." He nods without saying anything.

"Oh, I have one other matter to bring to your attention, Master." I inform him.

"And what is it, child?" he asks in curiosity.

"Erza was to tell you, but since she is otherwise indisposed I guess I should tell you myself. I wish to join Natsu and the others in their punishment." I tell him. Eyes wide, he looks at me askance. Before he says anything, I continue.

"They are my family now. Family shares the good times and the bad. It is because of me that they did not arrive here as fast as they should have been able to. I caused the delay, so I should not be spared from the punishment. I know that I cannot join them at this moment for this particular lesson, but I will accept whatever you think would be appropriate." I bow my head with closed eyes, waiting for his judgment.

I hear him 'hmm' like he is in thought before he says, "I will need some time to reflect upon this before I can judge fairly."

"Thank you, Master." I politely reply. I turn my attention back towards the others to watch what happens.

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After a short, pixie-like, blue-haired woman, who Krysti later found out was called Levy, figured out how to solve the spell, she immediately started casting it. The spell at first seemed to of worked, but only on Gray and Lucy. Due to a slight error in pronunciation, other nearby people were caught up and swapped bodies as well.

Levy tried a few more times before she was able to finally get the words correct. After that, it was smooth sailing and everyone who was mind-swapped returned back to normal.

The usual chaos soon occurred as the people affected were now in their original bodies. A party broke out with Levy as its target, which embarrassed the short girl. More guild members returned, who all of course joined in the party even though they have no idea why there was a party.

A brawl started between the males, the two usual suspects being the cause of it, and Levy was able to get away unnoticed to make her way over to her blonde best friend, Lucy.

"Hey Lu-chan?" Levy starts out cheerfully.

"Yes Levy-chan?" answers Lucy, curious at what her friend wants.

"Why did you guys pick out that request anyways? It's not a normal one you guys would do." Levy asks.

Lucy shrugs before answering, "Beats me, Natsu was the one who picked it out actually."

"Really? Natsu picked out the request that needed knowledge of old languages to complete?" Levy asks in disbelief.

"Yea, which seems really odd for him. I pegged him as more of the type that wants adventure and fighting." says Lucy thoughtfully.

"That's my point! He is that type!" exclaims Levy.

"We could always just ask." says Lucy before turning to face the brawl. "Hey! Natsu!" she cries out hoping to be heard over the din. Natsu appears near them at the edge of the fight, dodging furniture and fists.

"Whatcha need, Lucy?" he grunts out after taking a kick to the stomach. He tries dodging the punches while paying attention to Lucy. Getting fed up, he grabs one of Levy's teammates and tosses him through the crowd, knocking down several people and giving him some breathing room. Wiping his hands and taking a deep calming breath, he walks over to the girls.

"Sorry about that Lucy, I didn't hear what you said." he says calmly.

Wide-eyed, the girls share a look that screamed 'I can't believe that Natsu, OUR Natsu willingly stepped out of the middle of a brawl!'

Huffing in slight annoyance, Natsu prompts them with, "Well, what is it?"

Not fully recovered from their shock, Levy answers for Lucy, "Well, we were wondering, Natsu. Why did you take this strange request in the first place? It doesn't seem something you would be interested in."

Nonchalantly, he answers without hesitation, "It isn't what I would want to do as a request. But Krysti said she needed to earn some money for food and clothes and stuff. That request looked like a very easy way to get some money to get her started." Then his eyes widen in realization as he smacks a fist into his palm.

"Oh, that's right! You solved the meaning of the words, so the reward is yours, Levy." A chair flies out of the din and pegs Natsu in the back of his head. Suddenly angry again, he flies back into the crowd to defeat the chair thrower.

"So it was for Krysti, that's… surprisingly thoughtful of him." Lucy trails off.

"Who is Krysti? She new?" asks Levy. Lucy points toward the bar where said woman was dodging flying furniture and having a tough time doing so. The brawl continues in usual fashion until the Master gets fed up.

"ALRIGHT! CALM DOWN YOU BRATS!" he yells out, effectively stopping the fight. He coughs and continues in a more normal voice. "We have here someone who wants to join the guild. Please welcome, Krystina Skye VanHawkins." A chorus of cheers from the crowd causes the large woman to blush from the attention. As the cheers die down, the Master continues, "She has also requested that she join our rule breakers in their punishment." Silence falls over the crowd before a lot of voices start whispering to each other.

"I have thought hard about this and came to a decision!" continued the Master before he pauses to take time to look out over the crowd. Krysti uses this time to walk towards the majority of the guild before turning to face the Master.

"My decision is this: She cannot join Fairy-tail." He states very gravely. Immediately a ruckus of disagreement flows from the crowd, but none louder than from Lucy, Gray, Happy, and Natsu. They fly to the bar and stand in front of the Master to argue.

"What the hell, gramps!" yells Natsu.

"This isn't fair!" cries out Lucy.

"We are her friends, she is already family!"

declares Gray.

"No fair!" cries Happy. The master just looks at them with a hard stare.

From behind them a soft voice says, "Guys, it's ok. If that is his decision…"

"No! It's not okay!" roars out Natsu. "You're our frirnd and you should be allowed to join!"

"That is cruel, Gramps! You can't not let her join!" Shouts an angry Gray. Krysti puts of both her hands on each of the shoulders of the guys in front of her. They turn to look to see a sad soft look in her eyes.

"It's ok. Really. You guys have already done so much for me. Thank you. It was too much to hope for to be allowed in, especially since I'm not a mage. I'll figure out some other way to pay you back for all the kindness you have shown me." she says in that same soft voice.

Stepping in past them she bows down to the Master before saying, "Thank you for at least considering my application to the guild. And thank you for passing a fair punishment, Master. I shall take my leave." At this, she stands up straight and slowly makes her way to the doors. In a flash, Erza blocks her way with outstretched arms.

"Master!" she calls out forcefully. "I cannot stand by your decision to not let her become a member! I too believe that she belongs with us. Already she has helped us out more than you know in only these two days that we have known her."

"Che, damn brats. You didn't let me finish." says the Master irritably. The rest of the guild is slightly taken aback at this. "I said that she can't join Fairy Tail…" He pauses to see if anyone is going to interrupt again. As no one is protesting, he continues. "She can't join because in her heart, she already is Fairy Tail."

He sits back in his seat and lets a smirk cross his face as he watches the smiles in realization start appearing on the young faces in front of him. "You can't join something that you already are a part of in your heart." he finishes with a look of pride shining in his eyes. Cheers erupt from the guild as everyone is laughing, crying, and cheering all at the same time. None more so than the newest member in the center of the celebration.